Have the time of your life with this weekend's best bets

Thursday

Jan 24, 2019 at 5:48 PMJan 24, 2019 at 5:50 PM

LOCAL ART: Take a walk through downtown while you take in the local arts scene with work from all sorts of media, including pottery, paintings, performances and live music. Some locations also will offer light refreshments during the monthly Artwalk Gainesville event, which will be held Friday from 7 to 10. (some locations’ hours will differ). This free, self-guided tour will feature opening receptions for exhibits like “Intimate States — Work on Paper by Eduardo Sarmiento” at the Galleries at the Historic Thomas Center, and “Home” at the GFAA Gallery.

A LOOK INTO FAMILY LIFE: The Gainesville Community Playhouse production of “Time of My Life,” a story that reflects what life is like in the typical American household, opens Friday at 8 p.m.. The play will continue at 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 10. In this production, a father has organized a family dinner with his sons at his favorite restaurant to celebrate his wife’s birthday. One son is with his own long-suffering wife, but their marriage looks to be on firmer ground than it once was. His other son has brought along a new girlfriend, an outrageous hairdresser, and they are both eager to impress. Gradually, family skeletons intrude on the happy domestic scene. See how it all unfolds at Vam York Theater, 4039 NW 16th Blvd. Tickets are $22 for adults, $18 for ages 60 and older, and $12 for children and students with a valid ID. For tickets and more information, visit gcplayhouse.org/tickets or call 376-4949.

CELEBRATING WOMEN THROUGH MUSIC: The Gainesville Orchestra presents “POWER! A celebration of Powerful Women in Fact and Fable!” at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The concert will include Rimsky Korsakov's “Scheherazade,” Joan Tower’s “Island Rhythms,” Wagner’s “Tannhauser” overture and a world premiere by Sonya Leonore. Catch the tunes at Santa Fe Fine Arts Hall, 3000 NW 83rd St. Tickets are $40 for general admission, $30 for seniors and $15 for students. For more information, visit gainesvilleorchestra.com.

GET MEDIEVAL: The annual Hoggetowne Medieval Faire returns to the Alachua County Fairgrounds this weekend from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, as well as 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 1 for “Family Friday” and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 2-3. The event transforms the fairgrounds into a medieval marketplace filled with hundreds of artisans and entertainers, and featuring armored jousting knights, children’s rides powered by men and women instead of machinery, troupes of actors, food vendors and magic acts. “The Hoggetowne Medieval Faire is a place where people of all ages can appreciate the rich culture of the Middle Ages,” said Faire coordinator Sunshine Andrei. “Coming to the Faire and enjoying its authentic atmosphere has become a tradition for families from across Florida.” The fairgrounds are located at 3100 NE 39th Ave. Tickets are $18 for adults, $8 for youths ages 5-17, and free for ages 4 and younger; tickets are half-price Feb. 1. For more information, visit hoggetownefaire.com or call 334-ARTS.

FUN WITH NATURE: The University of Florida’s Flatwoods Fire and Nature Festival is set to ignite Saturday with prescribed fire demonstrations, fire ecology tours, live wildlife, live music, food trucks, interactive educational exhibits and activities for all ages at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ Austin Cary Forest. The free, family friendly event is being held to help increase local knowledge and understanding of prescribed fire as a land-management tool. The event kicks off Florida Prescribed Fire Awareness Week, which starts Sunday. The festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 10625 NE Waldo Road. If the weather does not permit the event, it will be rescheduled for Feb. 2. For more information, visit: bit.ly/FireFest2019.

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